Setting up browsing hierarchy

[Bertrand63]

Hello everyone,
I’m quite new to Minimserver and would like to set up a specific browsing hierarchy but can’t find the proper settings. In fact after trying some settings I’m really not sure I can achieve what I want.

Here’s what I would like for browsing my music, starting from the top menu, the home container as it’s called in the user guide:

Artist > Albums
Composer >Albums
Genre > Artist > Albums

Artist > Albums (This I have been able to obtain, in setting “all” in the listViewAlbums. When I select the Artist index, I have the list of artists and then selecting an artist gives me this artist’s list of albums. So that’s good, but ideally I would like this to exclude the Classical artists, or composers)

Composer >Albums (I somewhat do have what I want here. That is, from Composer I obtain a list of composers, then by selecting one I have the list of albums. But I’d like this to only show Classical composers).

Genre > Artist > Albums (That’s the trickiest one. Right now with this selection I select Genre, which gives me a list of genres, then when I select a specific genre I have a list of albums in that genre. I would like to first have a list of artists in that genre before the list of albums, so Genre>Specific genre>Artist>Albums. As a bonus, if this could also exclude the Classical genre…)

Also, is it possible to not have the “n albums” and “n items” index entries in the home container?

And one final thing, I am trying to use the Work, Movement tags for the classical genre. I am not sure how to make Minimserver use these tags. I am testing the Jplay app, which uses those, so for example, an album with two symphonies does appear with a heading for each symphony and the movements grouped under that heading. Allowing me to play just one symphony, not the whole album.
This does not appear in my default app (which is StreamMagic from Cambridge Audio). I have tried to use the Group tag in files, but I have not found how to make Minimserver display those.

If anyone can tell me if some of this is at all possible, and maybe how, because I’m quite at a loss here.
Thanks a lot.

[simoncn]

MinimServer uses "intelligent browsing" (see the Features page) to construct the browsing hierarchy. This shows a hierarchy based on available tags and previous selections. In some cases this might show more tag choices than you need for your preferred approach to browsing. For example, you cannot force an Artist choice to appear after a Genre choice and before an album choice.

With this approach it isn't possible to exclude tags, so the only way to exclude files tagged as Classical is to add a tag such as "nonClassical" to all your files not tagged as Classical. This is possible in MinimServer (without needing to modify your files) by doing the following:

1) Create a tag update file (see the Tag update section) containing the following:
@GENRE=Rock
@GENRE=Pop
@GENRE=Jazz
....repeat for all non-classical genres in your library....
+NONCLASSICAL=1
2) Put the path to this file in the tagUpdate property
3) Add nonClassical=1 to the indexTags property
4) Restart MinimServer

You will now see an additional index selection "nonClassical" that allows you to select only non-classical files and albums.

It isn't possible to remove the “n albums” and “n items” index entries from the home container.

MinimServer treats Work and Movement just like any other tags. It is up to the control point (for example, JPLAY) to assign any semantics to these tags. The Group tag is different in that it is treated specially by MinimServer as described in the Groups and works section.

Edited: changed +nonClassical=1 (in tag update file) to +NONCLASSICAL=1

[Bertrand63]

Thank you so very much for your help Simon.

I've tried your solution for the nonClassical index, but as it gives me a list of non classical albums without an artist choice first it is not what I need. But now I understand that the tagUpdate category is what I should investigate in priority to try and achieve a set up as close to what can suit me as possible.

Thanks again.

[simoncn]

This is because you have set listViewAlbums to 'all'. I tried selecting nonClassical without setting listViewAlbums and I get a full index (including Artist, Date, Genre, etc.)

[Bertrand63]

Thanks for your answer Simon,

Yes, I did remember afterwards that I had set listViewAlbums and disabled it.

If I may, I have another question regarding classical music and the Work/Movement Name tags.

As I said, I have set those tags. For example in the case of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio:

Work: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 - Part 1
(Then: Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 - Part 2, etc. so each part shows one after another separately in Jplay)

Movement: 1. Chor. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
(Then: 2. Rezitativ. Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit, etc.)

But for each movement, the full name of the file appears (Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248; Part 1. No. 1. Chor. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage), as if Jplay couldn’t read the Movement Name tag.

Is there a setting that would allow only the Movement Name (1. Chor. Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage) to show?

Here is what I have:
   

And here’s what I’d like to get (the next image is from Qobuz):
   

Thanks,
Bertrand

[simoncn]

This is a question for JPLAY. The control point decides what tags to use when showing a list of files. Most control points use the TITLE tag for this but it is possible that JPLAY could be showing a combination of the WORK and MOVEMENT tags.

[Bertrand63]

Thanks a lot Simon. I'll look into it.

[MetalJazz]

(25-12-2024 22:08)simoncn Wrote:  1) Create a tag update file (see the Tag update section) containing the following:
@GENRE=Rock
@GENRE=Pop
@GENRE=Jazz
....repeat for all non-classical genres in your library....
+NONCLASSICAL=1
2) Put the path to this file in the tagUpdate property
3) Add nonClassical=1 to the indexTags property
4) Restart MinimServer

You will now see an additional index selection "nonClassical" that allows you to select only non-classical files and albums.

Edited: changed +nonClassical=1 (in tag update file) to +NONCLASSICAL=1

interesting information!
is it as well possible to do it the other way around to create an index selection that contains only classical items?
pretty sure the below won't work...@
@GENRE=Classical
+NONROCK=1
+NONPOP=1
+NONJAZZ=1
....

feedback appreciated, Werner

[simoncn]

Doing it this way round is much simpler. Just select Genre and then select Classical. No tag update file is needed.

[ischowam]

Hello

Until now I used to work with the folder-view, but wanted to switch to the tab-view now as I e.g. like the grouping of multi-disc-albums (Disc 1, Disc 2...), which isn't available in the folder view (right?).

Maybe this thread already tells me the answer to my question, but as I am suprised about it, I would like to reconfirm.

Bertrand63 Wrote:Genre > Artist > Albums: ... Right now .. I select Genre, which gives me a list of genres, then when I select a specific genre I have a list of albums in that genre. I would like to first have a list of artists in that genre before the list of albums...)

simoncn Wrote:...For example, you cannot force an Artist choice to appear after a Genre choice and before an album choice.

My issue is exactly the same as described from Bertrand63.
I would like to select a genre and see a list of artists on the next level (meaning albums grouped by artist)

Is there really now way of defining such a customized browsing hierarchy?
Or any other, if I prefer a specific tag sequence for browsing?

I always thought I could do this somehow in Mminimserver.

Georg